Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $983 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,459 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,935 in Onesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than Onesti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Onesti is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.09 RON 30.89

128.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$36.66 RON 160

76.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.50 RON 28.34

59.69%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.92 RON 8.39

44.27%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.92

$1.99 RON 8.69

13.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.60 RON 6.97

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.11 RON 9.21

65.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.01 RON 13.14

32.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.13 RON 4.91

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.18 RON 5.15

47.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.99 RON 8.67

-12.56%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.92 RON 12.72

8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$7.87 RON 34.31

70.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.82 RON 29.75

17.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$11.16 RON 48.65

44.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.97 RON 4.23

135.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.57 RON 6.82

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.44 RON 6.28

34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.87 RON 8.17

35.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.84 RON 3.65

117.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.06 RON 4.63

92.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.05 RON 4.57

88.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.65 RON 2.82

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$5.69 RON 24.82

20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.78 RON 25.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.95 RON 4.14

44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.47 RON 6.40

97.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.70 RON 3.07

225.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$19.91 RON 86.8

135.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.17 RON 5.10

248.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.60 RON 2.61

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.77 RON 29.52

169.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.62 RON 7.04

24.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.4K RON 123.7K

24.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.4K RON 110.6K

51.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$145 €124

$161 RON 703

-9.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.96 €17.94

$8.00 RON 34.90

162.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$9.65 RON 42.07

315.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.75 RON 182

16.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$19.21 RON 83.7

-2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.78 RON 29.55

33.63%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$607 €519

$305 RON 1,332

98.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$9,768 RON 42.6K

67.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$37.53 RON 164

178.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$30.43 RON 133

34.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$72.9 RON 318

28.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$74.1 RON 323

60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$387 RON 1,688

314.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$292 RON 1,273

323.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$597 RON 2,602

410.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$431 RON 1,879

377.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,781 RON 7,764

332.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,374 RON 5,989

210.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$687 RON 2,993

130.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.11

-46.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Onesti: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $387 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $37.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $199 per month, with Onesti cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Onesti differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $983 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 131% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $387 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $305 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $983 in Onesti versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Onesti are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.